European hopefuls stand up to be counted in a choosy market

The European investor appetite for corporate bonds has taken off far beyond last year's expectations, but some banks lack the strengths needed

By

Charlie Welsh

September 6, 1999 5:00 p.m. GMT

Deutsche Bank is unquestionably the leading European player in acquisition finance for leveraged buy-outs. But there is a raft of European banks following in its wake, including Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, Barclays Capital, Warburg Dillon Read, WestLB and and the newly merged BNP-Paribas.

Barclays is seen by many to have bitten off more than it could chew with Kappa and had to rely on the solid support of what was then Bankers Trust.